A Change of Worlds

Book 5 of the Killian Kendall Mysteries

By Josh Aterovis
Copyright 2026

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Chapter 23

When I pulled into the driveway of the beach house, I was shocked to see Mom's car parked behind Kane's truck. I was out the door and halfway to the house before the engine even stopped. I charged into the kitchen, where I caught Mom in a bear hug.

"I didn't know you were going to be here!"

Ever since she'd moved to Pennsylvania to live with my Aunt Kathy, Mom's visits had grown further and further apart.

She gave me a wry grin. "That's because it was supposed to be a surprise, you goob."

"Yeah, way to ruin your big surprise, Kill," Kane said with a chuckle as he strolled in holding a can of soda.

Adam appeared in the doorway and made a face. "I should have known."

"Hey, I'm still surprised," I said.

"I thought I told you to be here around six."

"I told Tad I'd hang out with him today so I came back."

"We don't see you for days at a time, and the one day when I don't want you around, you decide to hang out," he teased.

"If you really want me to, I can leave!" I stuck my tongue out at him.

Mom laughed. "Boys! It's not that big a deal. Killian, why don't we get out of Adam's hair? We can go to the zoo. I haven't been there in forever."

"That's half an hour away," I said.

"So? Dinner won't be ready until six."

"Okay, whatever," I agreed with a casual shrug, although I was starting to think something sneaky was going on. Everyone was acting a bit odd. "But would you mind if Tad came along?"

"Not at all. Adam said he's been having a rough time lately."

"That's putting it mildly. Let me see if he wants to go."

"Great, let me grab my purse while you're doing that." She kissed my cheek and rushed from the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, I turned and eyed Adam suspiciously. "Okay. What else do you have up your sleeve?"

"What? Can't I just plan a nice birthday dinner for you and have your mom come down as a surprise?"

"My birthday isn't until next week."

"Which is where the surprise comes in."

I laughed. "Fine. You got me."

He grinned and pulled me into a hug. "Have a good afternoon with your mom."

"I will. It's great to see her."

As I turned away, he slapped my butt. "And don't come back until six!"

I laughed. "You're still planning something, but I'll play along."

He winked. "You'd better if you know what's good for you."

I took the stairs to the second floor two at a time. Tad was sprawled across his bed playing with his phone.

"Hey, Tad, want to hang out with my mom and me? We're going to the zoo."

"Don't you think I'm a little old for the zoo?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're never too old for the zoo. Come on. It'll be fun."

He shrugged, but stood up. "Why not? It beats sitting around the house doing nothing."

It wasn't exactly an enthusiastic reaction, but at least he was going. He didn't say much on the drive over, only answering direct questions for the most part — and even then with as few words as possible. Mom and I made up for his reticence by talking nonstop, catching up on each other's life. Even though we texted and video chatted on the phone regularly, it's still not the same as talking in person.

I grilled her about dating since she'd started going out again. "I'm just dipping my toes back into the dating pool," she insisted. "I'm not ready for a serious relationship."

"Like mother like son," I sighed.

She glanced over at me. "Okay. Fill me in. What happened with you and Micah?"

I told her about the breakup, avoiding the gory details since I wasn't in the mood. After that, I briefed her on my current case and my application for a PI’s license.

Tad remained quiet for a while after we arrived at the zoo, shoulders hunched, hands shoved so deep in his pockets it looked like he was trying to disappear inside them. He trailed a half-step behind us, eyes fixed on the ground.

At first, I tried to encourage him to join us, but Mom laid a hand on my arm. She had a different approach. She didn’t push him. She just walked beside him at a comfortable distance, pointing out little things — a chipmunk darting across the path, a pair of prairie dogs squabbling in the shade — without ever expecting a response.

It’s what she does best: she creates space without calling attention to the fact that she’s doing it.

At the monkey exhibit, she made an exaggerated gasp that would’ve embarrassed me if I hadn’t seen Tad’s eyes flick toward her in spite of himself.

“Oh my gosh, look at him!” she said, leaning conspiratorially toward Tad. “The one with the little pot belly. He looks exactly like Killian's baby pictures.”

“Mom,” I groaned, but she only wiggled her eyebrows at Tad.

The corner of his mouth twitched. Not a smile yet — but a crack in the armor.

She bought him a soda without asking, pretending the wrong flavor came out even though I saw her press the button for Dr. Pepper instead of water, then asking Tad if he would “do her a favor and take it off her hands?” He mumbled something like “okay,” barely audible, but he took the bottle and sipped it slowly as we walked.

By the time we reached the otters, Mom struck again. “You know,” she said, “every single time we came here when Killian was little, he used to swear that one of these guys winked at him. He wouldn’t leave until he was absolutely sure he winked back.”

I opened my mouth to object, but Tad beat me to it — with a soft snort. “That’s dumb,” he muttered, but there was no bite in it.

Mom just grinned. “Of course it is. Kids are supposed to be dumb sometimes. That’s what growing up is for.”

And something in Tad’s expression...loosened. Like her words unlocked something small but important inside him.

At one point, we saw one of the free-roaming peacocks that wandered the grounds. I knew before she opened her mouth what story she was going to tell next.

Sure enough, she started telling a story about taking me here when I was six. It was spring and the peahen had a clutch of freshly hatched babies following her around. Before she could stop me, I ran over to pet one of the fluffy little peachicks. Unfortunately, the mama did not take kindly to my enthusiastic approach and had chased me with loud squawks and much flapping of wings. I'd fallen down and scraped my knee in my panicked flight, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Killian cried so hard that snot was running down his face,” mom said with a chuckle. "He was afraid of peacocks for years after that. Guess he got over his fear of cocks eventually."

“Mom!” I said again, mortified.

But Tad laughed — a real laugh this time, short but bright. I felt it like sunlight cracking through clouds.

She nudged him gently with her elbow, the same way she used to do with me when I was a sulky teenager. “He was cute though. Although I might be a bit biased. Remind me to show you embarrassing photos some time."

I rolled my eyes, but Tad was grinning ear to ear.

By the time the afternoon shadows stretched long, Tad was walking beside us instead of behind us. He commented on how the emus’ looked like dinosaurs. He pointed out a zoo volunteer with a lizard on her shoulder. He even poked me in the side when I misread a sign and pronounced something wrong.

Seeing him like that — smiling, teasing, completely unguarded — hit me harder than I expected. For the first time since I’d met him, he looked like a fifteen-year-old. Not a runaway. Not a trauma case. Not a kid waiting for the next disappointment, the next person who’d demand too much or hurt him worse.

Just a teenager at the zoo with people who cared about him.

And that was all Mom. She hadn’t demanded trust or confessions or gratitude. She’d just shown up with warmth, patience, and embarrassing stories — the holy trinity of motherhood. Bit by bit, she’d chipped away at the walls he’d built so carefully around himself.

Watching him open up like that made me love her all the more.

At one point when Mom left us to use the restroom, I threw my arm around his shoulder, half expecting him to shrug it off. Instead, he left it there and leaned into my body.

"Having fun?"

He smiled and looked away. "Yeah. Thanks for inviting me. At first, I felt like I was butting in on your time with your mom, but she's really cool."

"You're not butting in on anything. If I didn't want you along, I wouldn't have invited you. I can tell Mom likes you too."

He nodded happily. "I don't really remember my mom. It was always just my dad and me, and we were never close. Then it was Razi, and now it's Adam and Steve. I've only ever had men in my life. It's kind of cool to see what it's like to have a mom."

My throat tightened at the wistful tone of his voice. I ruffled his curls. "You can share mine, if you want."

He ducked his head, but I saw a blush rise on his cheeks. "That'd be cool, but I doubt she'd want someone like me for a son."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"A gay hustler? Come on. Why would a nice lady like her want me when my own dad didn't?"

"Hey, first off, why would she care if you're gay? I'm gay, and she doesn't love me any less. And you did what you had to do to survive. It's not that big a deal."

He ducked out from under my arm. "Maybe it is to me." He started walking away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mom watching us from over by the restrooms. She waved me towards Tad, and I understood that she was giving us some time alone to talk. I nodded and went after him.

I caught him by the elbow. "Tad, wait."

He stopped walking but didn't turn around. I waited for a small group of people to pass by, although they weren't paying any attention to us anyway.

"What just happened?" He still didn't respond. "Talk to me. Please?"

"What's to talk about?"

"Things were cool between us for a while. Don't close down on me now. If I said something wrong, I'm sorry."

He lifted one shoulder in a listless shrug. "Everyone keeps acting like it's no big deal that I hustled, but it is." He turned to face me with haunted eyes. "It changes you. I feel dirty all the time. I let nasty old guys do stuff to me for money, Killian. How can that not be a big deal?"

"What other choices did you have at the time?"

"I could have gone home."

"Was that really an option?"

"I don't know."

I reached out for him, but he visibly stiffened, and I dropped my hand. "Tad, you did what you thought you had to do. When I said it wasn't a big deal, I just meant that no one judges you or thinks less of you because of what happened. Of course it changed you. I didn't mean to play down what you went through."

"I just feel so different from everybody else, like I can't relate to other kids my age."

"That's why it's so important that you keep going to counseling."

"You really think a shrink can help me?"

"Yeah, I do. You just have to find the counselor who's right for you."

He sighed. "I hate feeling like this all the time. It gets old, you know? Sometimes I think it would have been better if I'd just died on the street. I wish Razi had never found me and taken me in."

I stepped closer to him, and this time he didn't flinch away. "Tad, you're not thinking about doing anything stupid, are you?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Like what? Blowing my brains out? Jumping in front of a bus? Slicing my wrists?" He gave a cynical snort at my concerned expression. "Relax, Killian. I'm not gonna off myself. I said it would have been better if I'd died on the street, not that I'm going to kill myself now."

"Look, I'm sorry, but if someone I care about hints that he's thinking about committing suicide, I take it seriously."

He studied my face intently. "You really care about me?"

I tipped my head to one side. "Of course I do."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why? Why do you give a shit about me? You'd never even seen me before I spilled the beans about your boyfriend at Michelangelo's last year. Then you go out of your way to help me, finding a place for me to live with your own dad. I've never done anything but cause you grief, yet you still say you care about me. I don't get it."

I shook my head. "Why does anyone care about another person? You want a simple answer, and I don't have one. There was just something... That day in Razi's apartment when you told me your story, I felt a connection with you. We went through so much of the same stuff. In my case, though, Adam was there for me when I needed someone, and I never forget how lucky I was. I wanted to do the same for you." I stopped and shrugged. "I guess I did a pretty shitty job of it, huh?"

He frowned. "Why would you say that?"

"I've not been very good about making time for you."

"It's not like you're my dad or something." He paused. "For the record, I don't think you screwed anything up. You're the only reason I'm even trying instead of just saying fuck it."

I gave him a small smile.

"Although, I wouldn't mind spending more time with you," he added with a cheeky grin.

I laughed. "How about if we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" he asked guardedly.

"I'll try to spend more time hanging out with you if you'll try harder to find a therapist you like."

He pretended to think about it for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay, you've got a deal, but I'm going to hold you to it."

"Likewise, sweetheart."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Sweetheart?"

I grabbed him in a hug. "Yes, I called you sweetheart, and you're gonna like it."

"Hey, there you are," Mom called, as if she hadn't been watching the whole time from the other side of the ocelot cage. "I was wondering where you two had gone."

She rejoined us, and we continued meandering through the zoo.

At one point, Mom gave Tad a few dollars and asked him to get us all some more drinks from the soda machine. As soon as he ran off, she turned to me. "Is everything okay?"

I watched his retreating back and thought about her question.

"I think it will be."

"You guys seemed to be having a pretty intense conversation."

"We were. Every time I start to think we're getting somewhere, though, he seems to withdraw. I hope I broke through this time."

Mom slipped an arm around my waist. "Just don't get discouraged if he pulls away again. After all he's been through, it can't be easy on him. Despite his occasionally surly attitude, I really like him."

"He likes you too. He said it was nice knowing what it's like to have a mom."

Emotion welled up in Mom's eyes as we watched him jog towards us juggling two bottles of soda and water.

"Poor kid," she whispered.

He reached us and eyed Mom warily while he handed out the drinks. "Are you okay, Mrs. Kendall?"

Mom smiled and blinked away her tears. "I'm fine. I think something blew in my eye. And no more of this Mrs. Kendall business. Call me Meg."

He ducked his head and nodded shyly. I was amazed at how differently he reacted around her.

After the zoo, we strolled through the park, then drove to the mall and puttered around there for a while. Tad admired a shirt in one of the stores, and Mom insisted on buying it for him. He thanked her a dozen times before we reached the car.

We got back to the beach house a little after six. Although it was strangely quiet inside, I could hear music playing in the backyard.

"I guess they decided to move dinner to the deck," Mom said.

She went out the back door with Tad and me trailing behind, then stepped aside.

I froze in my tracks as a loud chorus of "Surprise!" greeted me. I looked around in open-mouthed shock at a sea of grinning faces. I'd known Adam was up to something, but his was way more than I'd ever expected. It seemed as if everyone I knew was there: Adam and Steve, Kane and his girlfriend Lila, Novak and Judy, Jake, Will, Ilana and her husband Lysander with their three-year-old daughter Melody, even Chris Silver, who I hadn't seen since I'd closed the Fenton Black case.

Mom grabbed my wrist and dragged me from the house. Tad slipped out behind me and moved off to one side. I glanced over to see him retreat behind his mask of indifference once more. I wanted to make sure he was included, but I was quickly caught up in the whirlwind of birthday wishes, despite being a week early.

"The food is getting cold. Everybody eat!" Adam bellowed, cutting the well-wishes short.

He'd prepared a huge meal. Looking at the amount of barbequed chicken on the table, I sincerely hoped he'd had help. Everyone started filling their plates chatting happily.

I was balancing a plate while trying to eat when Will approached. I sat the plate on the rail as Will gave me a huge hug

"Hey!" I said. "It's really good to see you. Sorry I've been missing in action lately."

He shook his head, smiling, "No worries. You're a hot shot detective now. I feel like every time I turn around, you're all over the news again on some big case."

I laughed. "It's not that often. It's happened like once. Maybe twice."

"At least three times, by my count. I'm surprised Netflix hasn't wanted to make a show about you yet."

"Oh please. Like that would ever happen. Besides, I'd turn it down even if it did. That would completely blow my ability to go undercover."

Novak was standing nearby and must have overheard our conversation. He turned toward us with an arched eyebrow. "Oh really? You'd turn down millions to keep getting hit in the head by shovels?"

"That only happened once!"

Will laughed. "Which is once more than the vast majority of people can say."

I shrugged with a grin. "Fair enough. But what's going on with you? Anything new?"

"Nope. Same old."

"Not even seeing anyone?"

He blinked and looked away for a second. "I go on a date now and then, but nothing serious. But anyway, enough about that. I'm boring. All I do is paint and work. You need to go make the rounds, bask in being the guest of honor."

I knew he was just trying to avoid the subject, but I took pity on him and let it drop. Will had been very briefly married to my cousin Aidan, before Aidan was murdered on their wedding night.

"Okay, but we need to hang out soon."

He nodded and moved off toward Adam and Steve.

I joined a little group consisting of Jake, Adam, Kane and Lila. Jake was midsentence as I walked up. "...so I start school there in the fall."

"Start school where?" I asked.

"Oh, hey Killian. I got accepted to Van Rensselaer," he said with a proud grin.

"Holy shit! Congratulations! Where's that?"

"Albany, in upstate New York."

"Oh wow. I'm going to miss you, but that's awesome."

I remembered he'd mentioned he was looking at a school in New York, but I hadn't known he'd made his final choice. I only hoped things would work out for him. Albany was pretty far away, and he wouldn't know anyone up there.

Jake turned to Kane. "What about you? Do you know where you're going yet?"

"Lila and I are going to St. Mary's." St. Mary's College was a small liberal-arts college in southern Maryland. That, too, was news to me. I wondered when they had decided that, then realized it must mean they were pretty serious about each other. They had been dating since they'd met at a Halloween dance sponsored by the gay/straight alliance at my university the previous fall — a relationship record for Kane.

How had I missed out on so much of my friends' lives? Was I that caught up in work and school? This party was meant to be a celebration, but instead it was making me feel disconnected.

I pushed the thought aside, but vowed to return to it later. For the moment, I just needed to have fun and enjoy seeing everyone.

After dinner, everyone stood around talking in small groups. I was chatting with Jake, learning more about the school he'd chosen when I saw Chris break away from Novak and Judy to refill her glass. Since I'd been waiting all evening for a moment alone with her, I quickly excused myself from Jake and made my way to her side.

"Hey." I held out my glass. "Mind topping me off as well?"

She grinned and started to pour the soda. "Somehow, I don't think we're each other's type."

I laughed. "So how've you been?"

"I've been good, although life has been pretty boring since you stopped coming around. How about you?"

"We've been too busy to get bored."

"So I've heard."

"Really? You've been talking to Novak?"

"Well, you know, he called to invite me to this shindig," she said vaguely. "Were you surprised?"

"I stopped by earlier this afternoon, and everyone was acting funny, so I figured something was up, but I didn't expect all this." I indicated the whole group with a sweep of my hand. "I especially didn't expect to see you."

"Hey, it's your birthday, and I haven't seen you in months!"

"Technically, my birthday is next week."

"Yeah, well, your party is now, so go have fun." She gave me a little shove back towards the others.

I looked around and noticed Tad sitting on the steps going down to the beach, his back to the rest of us. I started towards him, then noticed Kane was momentarily alone while Lila was busy playing with Melody.

An idea began to form in my mind and I detoured over to the corner where he sat.

"Hey!" I dropped into the chair next to him.

He grinned over at me. "Did we get you?"

I grinned back. "Yeah, you guys got me. I totally didn't expect this, even after finding out Mom was here."

He snorted. "Some detective you are."

"In my defense, I had other things on my mind."

"Like what?"

I nodded in Tad's direction. Kane glanced over and his expression soured.

"Yeah, he seems to be messing everything up these days."

"I didn't say he messed anything up. What's with you anyway? You always seem to be on his case."

"Somebody needs to be."

"Why don't you stop giving him a hard time and try to be his friend?"

"I did try. He made it crystal clear he wasn't interested. I can't stand how ungrateful he is."

"Give him a break. He's been through a lot."

"So? That doesn't give him an excuse to be a jerk to Dad all the time. Besides, you went through a lot of shit too, and you're not like that."

"First off, everybody is different. We don't all react to things the same. More importantly, he's been through a lot more than I have. I had total support from your dad when I got kicked out. Tad had none. I never had to live on the street. I never had to hustle to survive. I never had to practically be a sex slave just to have a roof over my head. I never—"

"Okay, I get the point. He's had a shitty deal. Still, he doesn't even try."

"He's scared of getting hurt again, so he doesn't let anyone close. He’s a good kid, though, under all that. I've had a couple of good talks with him today. I think he might start to make more of an effort now, but he's going to need a lot of help and understanding. He doesn't have any friends, and he feels really disconnected because of everything he's been through. He could really use your support. You're in the best position to reach out to him. I mean, you guys share a room. How hard have you tried?"

He shrugged guiltily. "Probably not as hard as I could have."

"Then why not start making up for it now?" I nodded in Tad's direction again.

Kane made a face, but pushed himself out of his chair, walked slowly over to Tad, and sat down next to him. Tad looked up, surprise registering on his face when he saw who it was. I hoped Kane would say the right things and Tad would be receptive.

I looked around the deck from my unobserved spot in the corner. Novak and Judy were deep in conversation with Lysander, while Adam, Steve and Will chatted in another group. Ilana and Mom were standing near where Lila still played with Melody. Chris and Jake were having an animated exchange by the drinks table, Jake's hands waving in the air as Chris laughed at something he was saying. Everyone seemed happily engrossed in their respective conversations.

A sudden lump formed in my throat as a wave of longing washed over me. I missed Micah. It seemed wrong that he wasn't here with us — or, more exactly, here with me. I wondered how long Adam had been planning this, and if Micah had intended to come before our breakup. Was he sitting at home thinking about me right now too?

I stood up quickly, turning my back to the crowd and leaning over the rail to hide the tears in my eyes.

I was still struggling to regain control of my emotions when I felt a hand on my back. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to look up and see Mom watching me with a concerned expression.

"You okay?"

I shrugged.

"Missing someone?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

She pulled me close and kissed the top of my head. "It's okay, baby. You guys were together for quite a while. It's natural for you to miss him during something like this. Come on, let's take a walk."

She slipped her hand into mine and led me past Tad and Kane — who were so deep in conversation they barely noticed us enough to shift out of the way — and down onto the beach.

"So what exactly happened between you guys? You glossed over all that earlier."

I quickly filled her in about Micah's job offer, how he'd asked me to move in with him, Asher's unexpected appearance on the scene, and how Micah had encouraged me to go out with Asher. She winced when I told her about kissing Asher and shook her head sadly as I relived the breakup with Micah. I was amazed I managed to get through all of it without going to pieces.

"So, Micah's taking the job in New York now?" she asked when I'd finished.

"As far as I know."

"In that case, I suppose there's no real chance you'll get back together."

"I sure don't see how."

"Would you want to even if you could?"

I hesitated a second while I considered her question. "Honestly, I don't know. I love Micah, but I don't think we're in the same place right now, and that's not going to change anytime soon."

She nodded. "I think you're right. You are only eighteen — well, nineteen next week. I think that's a little young to be settling down just yet, especially considering you've never quite had the chance to be yourself outside a relationship. You pretty much went directly from Asher to Micah. Speaking of Asher, what are you going to do about him?"

"I don't know. I haven't even spoken to him since the kiss."

"Are you avoiding him?"

"Not really. I've just been busy with the case and all." I paused. "Well, maybe I have been avoiding him a little. I haven't gone out of my way to talk to him, but as far as I know, he hasn't tried to contact me either."

"What if he did try to talk to you? It sounds like he's made it pretty clear he wants to pick up where you guys left off. Is that what you want?"

"I don't know!" I whined. "I don't know what I want anymore. What do you think I should do?"

Mom gave me a look. "I can't make your decisions for you, Killian."

"I know that, but...don't you have any motherly advice?"

She laughed softly. "That I can do, I suppose. Since you asked, I think maybe you ought to take a little time for yourself. As I said, you haven't been on your own since you were sixteen. Date some different guys, go out and have fun — just enjoy yourself. You only get to be young once."

She looked out over the ocean, and I wondered if she was thinking about her lost youth. She'd gotten pregnant with me when she was very young and had been forced into an unhappy marriage with my father.

I laid my hand gently on her arm. "I know you gave up a lot for me. I hope you know how much I appreciate it."

She turned back to me with a proud smile. "This isn't about me, but since you mentioned it, you're damn right I gave up a lot for you." Her eyes twinkled. "And for the record, I'd do it all again for the privilege of having a son like you." She pulled me into a quick hug, then released me. "But back to your relationship dilemma, I do think maybe you should just take some time for yourself. Try being alone for a while."

I shrugged. "I dunno. Alone is pretty lonely. I'm not sure how much I like it."

She started to say something, but at that moment we heard Adam yelling for us. "The party's not over yet. Come on back up here."

I figured he must be referring to the gift portion of the evening and decided to make some sort of disclaimer as we approached. "Guys, I really appreciate everyone's coming out just for me, but you really don't have to give me a bunch of presents."

"Who said anything about presents?" Adam quipped, and everyone laughed. "You'll get yours when it really is your birthday, and not before. Tonight is actually about something else."

"What do you mean?" I'd thought I had it all figured out, and then another curveball came my way.

"Well, I'll let your boss explain. Shane?"

Novak stepped forward with a small smirk. "You know, I think we really pulled one over on him. Killian, when you came to work for me a year ago, I never thought we'd be where we are right now — in the middle of expanding our offices while doing more business than I ever dreamed. In large part, that success is because of you."

I wondered where he was going with this. All eyes were on me as I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"Friday, you went to qualify for your gun permit, the last step of applying for your private investigator's license. All that takes several weeks to process, but I've spoken with a friend, who's assured me that you will definitely be approved."

A feeling of relief washed over me. I hadn't even realized I'd been that nervous about not getting my license. I felt a smile spread across my face.

"But that's not all," Novak continued. "I've decided to make a few more changes at the agency. Besides expanding into the space next door to give you your own office, I'm going to change the name of the business."

"To what?" I asked.

"How does Kendall and Novak Investigations sound?"

I gasped as my mouth dropped open. It took me a few seconds to find my voice. "W-w-what?"

"Yeah, I know I should technically be first since I'm older, wiser, more experienced, and better looking, but Novak and Kendall Investigations just doesn't have the same ring, you know?"

I stared at him in astonishment, completely at a loss for words. Novak just grinned back at me.

"So what do you say?" he asked after a few seconds. "Will you be my partner in fighting crime?"

"Yes!"

Everyone burst into cheering and clapping as Novak strode across the deck and pumped my hand, then leaned in to whisper, "Why do I feel like we just got engaged?"

I laughed and threw my arms around him in an impulsive hug.

Novak hugged me back, then stepped away and held up his hands to get everyone's attention. "Just one more thing, and then I promise to shut up so you can get back to partying."

Everyone laughed.

"As many of you know, Killian and I have also been interviewing for the position of receptionist slash assistant. So far, the most qualified person we've seen made Charles Manson look well adjusted. I'd just about given up when I had one of my famous brilliant ideas. I made a couple of calls, the person I asked thought it over thoroughly, and then agreed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to our new assistant at Kendall and Novak Investigations: Chris Silver."

Once again, I found myself gaping like a fool as Chris stepped forward, gave me a wink, and took a little bow.

"And now, back to your regularly scheduled party."

I was quickly surrounded as everyone tried to congratulate me at once. I attempted to be gracious, but my head was spinning. All I wanted was to talk to Chris. After a few minutes of niceties with the others, I managed to grab her by the wrist and drag her off to one side.

"You're really coming to work with us?"

She grinned. "That's what the boss said."

"But what about school? And your family?"

"I'm going to transfer down here for school. It's not a big deal. In fact, we'll probably be in a lot of the same classes. After working with you on the Fenton Black case, I realized I liked playing detective, and the idea of becoming a cop lost a lot of its charm. I've seen the bureaucratic crap Dad has to put up with — dealing with superiors, jumping through hoops, and mountains of paperwork."

I decided not to mention the mountains of paperwork I'd been dealing with the last few weeks.

"As for my family, after Novak called, I talked it over in depth with Dad and Kevin. They both support my decision. Dad said it was time for me to go out on my own. Kevin's old enough to take care of himself, and Dad will probably be retiring in the next year or so anyway. So...it's all settled. I'll be your new assistant."

I frowned.

"What?" Her expression became concerned. "You don't want to work with me?"

"No! I mean, I do want to work with you, but are you sure you're going to be happy just being an assistant? You're going to be stuck in the office an awful lot."

"I thought about that. Of course I'd rather be out helping with the investigations, but Novak promised I'll get to do some of that too. I won't always be stuck in the office. In the meantime, I'll be getting valuable training from both of you, and if everything goes according to plan, one day I'll receive my license and join on as a full investigator."

"Well, if you're sure of what you're getting into, then I think it's awesome. I can’t imagine a better person for the job, even if you are a bit overqualified."

She laughed and gave me a hug.

Just then, Novak joined us. "Glad to see you two are getting along. Killian, I hope you're not mad I hired Chris without talking to you first."

"Not at all. I think she's terrific for the position."

"Great! I—"

My cell phone rang, cutting him off midsentence. I didn't recognize the number, so I figured I'd better take the call. I held up a finger and moved farther away from the crowd.

"Is this Killian Kendall?" a female voice asked.

"Yes, it is. May I ask who is calling?"

"This is Charlene Howard. I just returned from out of town and received your message."

"Professor Howard, thank you for getting in touch."

"You said this had something to do with Quinn's death?"

"Yes. I'm a private investigator. I was hired to look into some thefts that had occurred at the archaeological site, but when Professor Healy was murdered, the two cases kind of merged. Would you be willing to talk to me about Professor Healy?"

"I don't know how much I'll be able to help, but I'll do anything I can to catch whoever did this. Quinn was like a son to me." Her voice sounded a bit shaky.

"I'm terribly sorry, Professor Howard."

"I am too. Why don't you come by my house tomorrow morning?"

"I can do that. What time would be good for you?"

"Let's say ten? Is that too early?"

"That's perfect."

After she gave me directions to her house, I stood staring down at the phone in my hand, hoping she would be able to help. You never knew where you might uncover the one bit of information that would change everything, the one puzzle piece that made all the others fall into place. Maybe Professor Howard would provide that clue.

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